After fear of closing, enrollment doubles at revitalized Salem Campus

Salem Campus Instructional Assistant Katie Costello, left, works with kindergarten-student Gabriel Boon of Salem during class on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Salem Campus, formerly known as the Regional Day School at Mannington, has seen enrollment double after fear of closing due low enrollment a year ago. (Staff Photo by Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times)

MANNINGTON TWP. — Just last year, a local special services school was fighting to stay open but now enrollment has doubled and with a new name, Salem Campus has been revitalized.

Formerly named the Regional Day School, the facility is flourishing, district officials said Tuesday, thanks to being restructured.

Salem Campus, located on 45 Cheney Rd., is a school that is devoted to providing special services and taking care of students with special needs.

“We have this awesome facility — the whole goal is to get kids work experience. Things are going great here. There were a lot of concerns and an initial culture shock, but everything is really gelled now,” Salem Campus Principal Christopher L. Harris said.

The school board of education expressed that low enrollment and dwindling revenues threatened the school’s ability to stay open back in 2011. Since then, officials took on a reorganization, changed the name of the facility and since has seen numbers turn around.

This year there is just over 50 students enrolled at the Salem Campus, and Harris said the facility expects more enrollment. Last year, the facility only housed about 20 students.

“I just see the district growing when it comes to the staff and students. Everyone is happy and the students want to come to school and learn,” six and seventh-grade teacher Michelle Gould said.

Gould has been with the special services district for three years.

As part of the new structure, the position of a Director of Education Programs was created in 2012 — EvaMarie Raleigh, previously served as principal of the Special Services District’s Cumberland Campus oversees special education programs administered through the Salem Campus, Cumberland Campus, Pittsgrove Township Middle School and Upper Pittsgrove Township School.

Salem Campus Instructional Assistant Katie Costello, right, works with third-grade student J'Lire Hemphill of Penns Grove during class on Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Salem Campus, formerly known as the Regional Day School at Mannington, has seen enrollment double after fear of closing due low enrollment a year ago. (Staff Photo by Britney Lillya/South Jersey Times)

The facility — which is owned by the state but contracted by the combined school board for the Salem County Vocational Technical School District and Special Services School District — has provided services to students with various disabilities since 1982.

“I like when we do academic subjects — I like the teachers. It’s better this year because we have more social and vocational preparation,” student Thomas Therrien, 16, of Pennsville said.

Heading Autism Spectrum Disorders for grades kindergarten through third, teacher Lori Vilary said the district has grown immensely.

“The fact that some schools don’t have programs to take care of these needs. We are a specialized district that not only teachers follow core curriculum standards but we also teach functional and social skills,” Vilary said.

The facility has seven teachers in addition to job coaches, teaching aides, and other faculty.

Previously, when Salem Campus was RDS, the district operated under the Vo-Tech but now is under the Special Services of Salem County.

“My school is nice. We are awesome,” Nehe’miah Pritchett, of Millville, said, adding that he was proud of learning to read sentences and count money.

Also new to the Salem Campus is its Transitional Career Program that was transferred from the Cumberland Campus.

TCP focuses on academics, life skills, and vocational skills, Harris said. Because the program was moved, students also transferred to Salem Campus bringing up enrollment.

Michael Pavesi, a TCP Instructor, said students prepare staff meals and also go over to Vo-Tech and helps serve up to 200 lunches per day for the students at the high school.

Each student has an individualized education plan (IEP) and can continue education at the school until they are 21 years old.

“The main focus is to prepare students with life skills for every day life. The overall cohesiveness and everyone on staff is coming together for the common good,” Pavesi said.

In support of the growing district, Salem Campus will hold an open house today from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.